You love it or you hate it. So this is a recipe for those of you that love it. The rest of you might want to check out my Thanksgiving 2016 Recipe Round-up post instead…

Egg nog is actually very easy to make keto because the basic ingredients are eggs and cream. Before a couple of years ago, I’d only had store-bought egg nog is super high in sugar and filled with fake-food thickeners to avoid all those “bad” foods like eggs and heavy cream (oh, and probably to save a bunch of money for the food manufacturers). I had no idea that it was something you could make at home! And like most things made at home, it puts store-bought to shame. Most recipes use milk for a good portion of the liquid, but when you’re on a low carb, high fat diet, why not go all out and use all heavy cream?

Separate eggs and place egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat for a few minutes, until light in color. Gradually add the Swerve and continue beating until dissolved. Add the cream, rum (or rum extract) and nutmeg, and stir to combine. Pour this mixture into a pitcher or large bowl.

In cleaned and dried bowl of the stand mixer, add egg whites and beat to soft peaks. Whisk the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.

Many people use the holidays as an excuse to jump off the keto wagon and over-indulge in high-carb and sugary carbage. Why? There are so many delicious keto-friendly recipes out there, there really is no reason to ruin your keto high.

Turkey

Turkey is definitely the easiest part of a traditional Thanksgiving meal to convert into a low-carb version, because it’s naturally low carb! So most any turkey recipe out there will work, but I thought I’d include a not-so-average way of making turkey – sous vide – (Thanks for the suggestion, Mike!). Try topping your turkey with one of the compound butter recipes below, too.

Stuffing

Probably the most missed traditional Thanksgiving side dish is the stuffing (or is it mashed potatoes??). But do not fret, dear Ketonian! There are delicious ways to have your stuffing and maintain ketosis.

Although summer is taking its sweet time arriving here in the Pacific Northwest this year, that isn’t stopping me from grilling up some tasty meats (like tri tip) and making delicious, high-fat side dishes to go along with them.

I was inspired to make this potato salad style side dish (made with cauliflower instead of potatoes) after having a version of it made by my cousin’s wife at a family birthday party. It was so incredibly delicious, everyone at the party, even the non-Ketonians, LOVED it and asked for seconds.

I made my first version of this while visiting a friend and his family (HI JERRY!) in Oregon and it was received with similar accolades. “We need the recipe!!” is all I’ve heard the last few weeks.

So here it is, finally! I made this dish for 4th of July and it’s still as satisfying as the first one I had months ago. For a tasty variation, try subbing out the sharp cheddar for blue cheese. And of course you can always add more bacon.

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

3 large hard boiled eggs, diced

4 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

The only slightly tricky part of this recipe is cooking the cauliflower “just right”. You want it to be sort of soft, but not mushy.

After you remove the hard core and any leaves, you can try one of these techniques:

Dice cauliflower and steam it until fork tender, 1 – 3 minutes

Place entire head into pressure cooker and cooking LOW pressure for one minute. Use quick release method and slice and cool. Then cut into cubes. (This is the method I used.)

Dice cauliflower and put in a bowl in the microwave with about 1/4 cup of water. Cook on medium-high for 3 -5 minutes at a time, checking each time for doneness. Since microwave ovens vary so greatly, the total time may be 15 – 20 minutes.

Cool cauliflower cubes and then toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and add more salt or pepper if desired.

Like this:

Most of us who have been on a ketogenic diet know that fruits are to be avoided, with maybe the exception of those “technically” fruits like avocados and tomatoes. However, olives are also one of those magical fruits that can be worked into a keto lifestyle!

Olives are an incredibly versatile food that have been cultivated by humans for 1000s of years. We’re all familiar with the typical “green” and “black” olive varieties, but the olive rabbit hole goes deeper than you may think. First of all, green and black olives aren’t really different varieties of olives; they’re just picked at different stages of ripeness. Black olives are picked at the peak of ripeness, so they usually end up being softer with a more mild flavor. Green olives are picked at various degrees of un-ripeness, meaning they will be more dense and bitter. This time difference, as well as the region the olives are from, and the method for curing them, is what gives olives their diverse flavor profile.

Olives can be cured in different solutions to give them different unique tastes. Many olives are soaked in a solution of lye and water to soften them. This process takes a very short time, but unfortunately also removes most of the nutrients of the fruit. Other olives are cured in a bath of brine water, which can take several months, or air-cured, which causes some wrinkling of the olives but preserves the strong flavor and nutrient profile.

In 1910, a process was discovered in order to can black olives, which previously were different to transport because they would discolor. This involved lye-curing green olives in an oxygenated solution to turn them black, then treating them with ferrous gluconate to preserve the color. If possible, avoid buying canned black olives that have been “stabilized” with this substance – they will be almost completely devoid of nutrients! Look for organic brands of olives, as these will more likely be treated using a brine solution instead of lye, and will be much more nutritious.

All of that to say, olives definitely make for a great keto treat. They can be eaten by themselves as a snack, or used to enhance dishes like salads, dips, casseroles, or even some keto friendly pizza! At a small enough serving size, most olive jars will claim “zero” carbs, but all fruits and veggies have a small amount of digestible carbs: one large olive will be about 0.5 grams of fat to 0.2 grams of carbohydrates. With a little planning, these delicious salty fruits can be easily worked into any keto lifestyle.

Check out Carole’s Olive Taste Test Video for a breakdown of the different flavors of olives from all different parts of the globe!